Tipsy
by souxsiesioux6
Summary: A “missing scene” after Steve gets his memory back. Four short chapters switching between Steve and Kayla’s POV. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own _Days of Our Lives_ or the characters. I just borrow them to write total schmaltz.

"I am... not going to be able to drive," Kayla announced as if she'd made a dazzling discovery. A nearly empty wine glass dangled precariously in her hand and the sheet wrapped around her body threatened to slip down at any moment.

"True," Steve nodded serenely. "Lucky for us, we don't have to go anywhere tonight." He reached out for her wine glass and set it on the bedside table. No sense in letting good wine end up on the sheets. Of course, if the sheet she was wearing should happen to slip down, who was he to argue with gravity? They'd been toasting the return of his memory and one toast had led to another until the bottle was empty.

"Lucky for us," she repeated softly with a saucy grin. She glanced down at her hand and a confused expression marred her forehead as if she was trying to puzzle out where her wine glass had gone.

Steve struggled to keep a straight face as he asked, "Something wrong, sweetness?"

Kayla glanced up with a smile that light up her whole face. "Nope. Not anymore."

And just like that, she stole his breath away. How could he have forgotten this? How could he have forgotten what she looked like when she got tipsy like this? How could her forget the slight flush to her face or her soft, wet lips? How could he forget that adoring look in her eyes? That look that made him feel ten feet tall. He remembered how she used to tell him he could do anything. And when she looked at him like that, he almost believed it.

Just as he opened his mouth to tell her how he felt, her mood abruptly shifted again. This time, she wrinkled her nose disapprovingly and challenged, "How many drinks have you had?"

Steve chuckled, content to watch any and every emotion that danced across her pretty face. "A few," he replied.

"Funny," she commented in a suspicious tone. "You don't seem like you've had that much to drink. What's that about, huh?" she questioned as she jabbed his chest with a finger.

Steve held up his hands in surrender, but couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Hey, you don't see me reaching for the car keys either, do ya?"

Kayla's frown deepened. "You better not. I don't want you rushing off. I mean, I just got you back."

Steve reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Yes, you did. Yes, you did, baby. And now that you've got me back, we'll never be apart again."

"Promise?" she whispered against his chest. The pain in her voice almost tore him apart.

"I promise," he vowed. He ran a soothing hand up and down her back as he held her tight. The truth was, they still had a lot to deal with before 'happily ever after' could even be a possibility. There were still chunks of his past missing, years he couldn't remember. But whatever secrets lay in his past, he hoped they'd face them together.


	2. Chapter 2

Kayla slowly opened her eyes to the bright sunlight streaming in through the window.

And slammed her eyes shut again with a loud groan. "Why'd you let me drink so much?" she grumbled as she burrowed under the covers, away from the blinding daylight.

"Oh, so it's my fault," a low voice challenged from somewhere above the covers over her head.

Despite her throbbing headache and a serious case of cottonmouth, Kayla found herself grinning in response. She'd dreamt of having Steve back for so long that it was hard to believe this wasn't all a dream. She was almost grateful for the hangover because it proved this wasn't just a fantasy. _Almost_ grateful.

"You're not just going to stay under there, are you?" the voice above the covers questioned. "You can't accuse a man of getting you drunk and not stick around to let him defend himself, you know." Kayla let out a disgruntled squeak as the covers were abruptly pulled back and she found herself surrounded by daylight again. Steve stared down at her with mock disapproval. "That's hardly fair, Mrs. Johnson."

Her heart thrilled to hear Steve call her that. And judging by the expression on his face, it had a similar effect on him. Kayla licked her lips and did her best to look dignified. "Alright, Mr. Johnson. Let's hear your defense."

Steve laughed and she had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from joining in.

He ran a hand over his mouth as he nodded in thought. "My defense, huh? Well, as I recall, you were the one who proposed the first toast. And the second. If anything, I think _you_ were trying to get _me_ drunk."

Kayla wriggled around until she was sitting up, propped up against the pillows, and prayed her hair wasn't too frightening. "_That_ is ridiculous. I think I know better than to get into a drinking contest with a man who once considered a beer with an egg in it a healthy breakfast."

Steve laughed, "Oh man, it's a good thing I got my memory back, because no one would believe half the crazy things in my past."

"Like what?" Kayla asked, genuinely curious what would strike him as odd. He had an unusual perspective after having spent time as an outsider hearing about his old life secondhand.

Steve pulled her into his arms with a smile. "Like a crazy woman who'd rather drink a beer with a raw egg in it than back down from a challenge."

Kayla struggled free of his grip and scooted away. "Don't..." she swallowed back a sudden wave of nausea, "...don't remind me."

Steve collapsed back onto the bed in a fit of laughter and she contemplated slugging him. She gave up the idea as requiring too much effort and burrowed back down under the covers instead.

"Kayla..." a taunting voice crooned from overhead.

"Go away," she grumbled in response as she turned away from him and curled into a ball.

A soothing hand rubbed her back through the covers and she found herself torn between the urge to scoot away from him out of spite and the urge to lean back into the gentle caress. Before she could decide, she felt Steve lift the covers and spoon up behind her. The close darkness returned as he let the covers fall back down to surround them both.

"Don't worry, sweetness. We can stay in bed as long as you want," he whispered.

"How about forever?" she whispered back. "Can we stay forever?"

He wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss against the top of her head. "Forever," he agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve searched his bag again for a third time, even as he kicked himself for doing so. If he hadn't found any aspirin the first two times he looked, why would this time be any different? Glancing back behind him, he was relieved to see Kayla still asleep. As much as he'd enjoyed submerging under the covers with her, eventually the need for air had forced him to the surface.

A list began to form in his mind: aspirin, breakfast, coffee. Running a hand over his face, he bumped coffee to the top of the list. The alcohol hadn't hit him as hard as it had Kayla, but his body had decided to lodge a complaint anyway. A brief fantasy about strong, hot coffee ensued.

Shaking his head slightly, he ended the fantasy and began planning out the task of making it reality. Step 1: shower. Step 2: clothes. Step 3:...

He glanced behind him again. It was stupid to hesitate. What were they going to do, live in the bungalow forever? But a small, superstitious part of himself was afraid to walk out that door. Afraid that whatever twist of fate had given him his memories back would snatch them away again. What if they only existed here? What if outside this room he returned to thinking of her as a stranger?

Behind him, Kayla let out a soft sigh and murmured in her sleep. Turning to look, he saw her hand reach out against his pillow as if searching for him. And he knew. He knew without a doubt that if that happened, she'd find him. She'd find him and bring him back home again.

Home. Now there was a concept he hadn't allowed himself to think about in a long time. Even after being reunited with his daughter, Stephanie, he still hadn't thought of himself as the type to settle down long enough to make a home. He hadn't believed he was capable of being the kind of father Stephanie deserved. But Kayla had always been the one person who could make him think along those lines. The one person who could make the idea of settling down seem like a dream instead of a sacrifice.

Kayla let out a funny little grunt and buried her face in her pillow. Aspirin, Steve reminded himself. Shower, clothes, aspirin. He staggered to the bathroom, a man on a mission.

And found himself trapped by the bathroom mirror, preening in front of it like a lovesick kid as he turned his head to study the hickey on his neck. It was embarrassing, he told himself firmly. He was way too old to be running around with a hickey for the world to see. When he finally concluded it was low enough on his neck that his collar would hide it, he firmly stamped down a wave of disappointment.

Stepping into the shower, he berated himself for being so childish even as he washed the spot on his neck gingerly, as if afraid of washing it off.


	4. Chapter 4

_Kayla, _

_I'm sorry I'm not here, had to make a supplies run. Be back soon with aspirin and coffee. _

_- Steve_

The note was sitting beside a glass of water. Kayla guzzled down the water gratefully as she read the note. She already felt much better than she had earlier that morning. The throbbing pain behind her eyes had dampened to a dull ache and the light from the window no longer sent her diving under the covers.

In fact, Kayla lay in bed taking a quick inventory of her senses and decided she felt good. Stretching luxuriously, she toyed with the idea of staying in bed forever.

She let out a sleepy yawn and wrinkled her nose distastefully at her own breath. Ugh. Maybe not. Brushing her teeth suddenly took priority over lingering in bed.

Taking advantage of Steve's absence, Kayla let out a decidedly unladylike groan as she hauled herself out of bed and stumbled toward the bathroom. She'd become accustomed to living alone. It'd take time to get used to having a man in her life again.

Oops. There she went, rushing again. Every time she vowed to go slow and not push, she found herself pressuring Steve worse than ever. It was a wonder he hadn't gone running for the hills. She'd never had any intention of trapping him in a marriage he couldn't remember. But every time she tried to play it cool, she found herself confessing her feelings to him.

Stepping into the shower, she solemnly vowed to knock it off. No more pressure. No more pushing. She cringed as her words from the night before came back to her and she unconsciously punished herself by scrubbing harder. She'd poured her heart out to him last night, babbling like a fool.

The hot shower had lost its appeal, so she turned it off with a sigh. As much as she loved him, she didn't want him to feel trapped. Last night he'd promised she'd never be lonely again. But her heart had been broken too many times to readily trust again. Maybe with time, she'd find the courage.

Courage. That special sign between them. The one that made her believe they could weather any storm, as long as they were together. She smiled softly as she wrapped herself in a robe and began toweling dry her hair. Maybe they really could handle anything. After all, cheating death and finding their way back to each other after all these years was a pretty nifty trick.

Okay, she decided. Courage. She would hold onto the courage to hope. She wouldn't pressure him, but she would have the courage to hope. No pressure. Courage. Got it.

The door suddenly opened and Steve walked in with a shopping bag in one hand and two coffee cups carefully balanced in the other. His face lit up in a big smile. "Good morning."

Kayla quickly pulled the towel away from her head and smiled back. "Welcome home," she replied. Kayla bit her tongue, but it was too late. The words were already out of her mouth. Her vow not to pressure him had lasted an entire ten seconds. She really was hopeless.

With a grin, Steve deposited his bounty onto the nearest surface and pulled her into his arms. "Home," he repeated softly, "I like the sound of that."

As she melted into his kiss, she realized she always had been hopeless when it came to this man. And after all these years, she still was. Looks like some things never change.

THE END

A/N: This was my first _Days of Our Lives_ fic, so please be kind. Thanks


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